Cost of living crisis change for Wiltshire Air Ambulance Christmas raffle
Charity writes letter to supporters as it launches annual fundraiser
The cost of living crisis has led Wiltshire Air Ambulance to rethink how it does its 2022 Christmas Raffle.
A top prize of £3,000 is up for grabs as tickets for the raffle go on sale. In addition players of the raffle also have the chance of winning other prizes of £500, £100 and £25. Tickets are just £1 each.
But in a letter accompanying the raffle pack, Wiltshire Air Ambulance critical care doctor Reuben Cooper writes:
“Working alongside the fantastic pilots and critical care paramedics, our task is to be there for the people of Wiltshire, Bath and surrounding areas when they need us most."
“We appreciate times are tough for everyone with the cost of living crisis, and subsequently the charity has chosen to reduce the number of tickets have included in the packs for this year’s Christmas Raffle."
“Please do consider playing our Christmas Raffle and help to fund our vital work.”
Wiltshire Air Ambulance has been saving lives for more than 30 years and is operational up to 19 hours a day, 365 days a year. The charity has been operating on the front line throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.
It is a charity and relies on donations to do its life saving work. It costs £4 million a year to keep the air ambulance flying, that’s around £11,000 per day. Wiltshire Air Ambulance does not get regular Government money or National Lottery grants.
On average, its crews are called to three incidents a day in the helicopter or Rapid Response Vehicles (cars). In 2021 the charity attended 1,104 incidents, with around one in three involving cardiac emergencies.
Meanwhile, the charity has also launched an array of merchandise for the festive period, including a wide range of Christmas cards, tree decorations, as well as its 2023 diary and calendar.
You can find out more here: wiltshireairambulance.co.uk
Participants in the raffle must be 16 years of age or over.